Bane at the Well

Bane at the Well is a random encounter in Tales from the Tiers.

Transcript
Your journey is interrupted by a messenger from the Mountain Spire. A short, young man with a lank flop of dark hair and a surprisingly full beard, the messenger bears bloodshot eyes and a nervous disposition. Inquire further. Give your orders. Ignore the Bane. You press the messenger for more details. He tells you that there have been scattered Bane sighted throughout the valley, but they're thickest around Vendrien's Well Citadel and in the mountains that ring the old dominion. They've attacked a handful of travelers and devastated livestock throughout the valley. Given that the farms are still recovering from the Conquest, the rise of the Vendrien Guard, and the subsequent civil war between the Archons, it couldn't be a worse time for Bane to appear in Apex. You consider how best to deal with the threat your Edict has stirred... You inform the messenger in no uncertain terms that you do not have the time to worry about a handful of arcane monstrosities that are frightening some farmers. They should be able to deal with their own defense, just as they were before the Conquest. He stammers out an apology before making a hasty exit. [Pay 10000 rings] Hire mercenaries. Lure the Bane away. Request aid from your allies. You tell your envoy to go to Lethian's Crossing. There's a heavy iron ring in it for a mercenary captain willing to test the mettle of their company against the writhing arcane horror of the Bane. The messenger nods eagerly and leaves you to continue your journey. You theorize that a focused act of magic by a mystic at another Spire could draw the Bane away from the Mountain Spire. It won't be a simple thing to compete with an Edict, but it's a plan that could diffuse the issue without significant further bloodshed. Of course, you doubt the people in the area around the Spire will appreciate any Bane the magic attracts, but they should be better suited to deal with them than the farmers of Apex. The question remains: which Spire to use as the lure? You prepare a missive of your own, but which allies will you reach out to for aid against the Bane? The Dawning Spire at Howling Rock The Aurora Spire at Gulfglow Oldwalls The Ocean Spire in the Blade Grave The Sunset Spire at Lethian's Crossing The Bronze Brotherhood You send your envoy to the Spire with your orders: every able-bodied magician available should come together at the Spire's top and perform a group ritual. The working must last at least a night and a day, the missive states, and longer if possible. The Spire will magnify the magic, of course, and hopefully that will call the Bane from the valley farmlands. The messenger thanks you for your time and leaves you to fulfill your command. You send your envoy to the Spire with your orders: every able-bodied magician available should come together at the Spire's top and perform a group ritual. The working must last at least a night and a day, the missive states, and longer if possible. The Spire will magnify the magic, of course, and hopefully that will call the Bane from the valley farmlands. The messenger thanks you for your time and leaves you to fulfill your command. You send your envoy to the Spire with your orders: every able-bodied magician available should come together at the Spire's top and perform a group ritual. The working must last at least a night and a day, the missive states, and longer if possible. The Spire will magnify the magic, of course, and hopefully that will call the Bane from the valley farmlands. The messenger thanks you for your time and leaves you to fulfill your command. You send your envoy to the Spire with your orders: every able-bodied magician available should come together at the Spire's top and perform a group ritual. The working must last at least a night and a day, the missive states, and longer if possible. The Spire will magnify the magic, of course, and hopefully that will call the Bane from the valley farmlands. The messenger thanks you for your time and leaves you to fulfill your command. The Vendrien Guard The Scarlet Chorus The Disfavored Legion The Stonestalkers The Court of Fatebinders The School of Ink and Quill You send word to Welby that there's a reward in it for any Brother that clears out a pack of Bane from the Vendrien's Well valley. You doubt the mercenaries will even need the encouragement to test their mettle against the writhing arcane horrors, but an added incentive won't hurt. The messenger nods eagerly and leaves you to your journey. You draft a missive to Tarkis Arri. The citadel is well-defended, you write, but the larger valley crawls with Bane. You order her to increase Vendrien Guard patrols throughout the valley and assign the most battle-hardened units to hunting down and dispersing the Bane. The messenger thanks you and leaves to carry your message home. You're not entirely convinced that the Fifth Eye can read, but you suspect that someone in his retinue will be able to translate your missive if need be. You request that he send a cadre of Blood Chanters and Blood Hounds into the valley to tackle the Bane. These violent spell workers are hardly the ideal candidates, but one must work with the tools at hand. The messenger nods warily and leaves in search of a bird to send to the Chorus. The Iron Marshal immediately springs to mind, and you draft a brief request for reinforcements throughout the valley. You recommend that the usual compliment of shields and runners be backed by a small cabal of Earthshakers; the Bane can be vicious foes to those unprepared to bring battle against the arcane. The messenger nods eagerly and goes in search of a bird to dispatch to the Disfavored. Hardly envying the young man his task, you dispatch the messenger into the Stone Sea to locate the Stonestalkers. He'll have to convince them that he comes bearing the words of their Prima, and that a hunt has been called against the Bane in Vendrien's Well. The blood drains from his face, though you don't know whether in response to the magnitude of the assignment, or the notion of Stonestalkers prowling around the valley. Regardless, he nods stiffly and leaves to carry out your orders. You address your missive to Nunoval, Fatebinder of War, in the Bastard City and request his aid in the valley of Apex. You note that normally you wouldn't tax the Adjudicator's agents with such a menial task, but you thought he might enjoy the opportunity to set his mettle against the Bane. You suggest that Rhogalus, too, may be interested in their study and could certainly add to the surety of a victory over the arcane horrors. The messenger takes your missive and leaves to find a bird to Tunon's Court. You draft a missive to Renata asking her to send some Sages into the field with backup from the Vendrien Guard stationed at the Mountain Spire. While their mission is to search out the Bane and end their threat to the commoners of the region, you make it clear that you wouldn't be opposed to any study of the Bane that might ensue. The messenger takes your missive and leaves you to your journey. Ever since your issuance of the Edict against your foes at Vendrien's Well, the courier tells you, the valley of Apex has been beset by an ever-increasing number of Bane. The creatures seem inimical to all life, and their predations have the people of Apex hiding in terror rather than tending the fields. If this keeps up, the lands you've claimed will not be able to support your Spire, regardless of how rapacious your tax collectors become. The messenger asks what orders you wish returned to the Spire... The messenger nods eagerly and leaves you to your journey. The messenger nods eagerly and leaves you to your journey. The messenger nods eagerly and leaves you to your journey. Continue... Continue... Continue... Ignore the Bane.